School
31 October 2007
MEC for Health in the Eastern Cape, Nomsa Jajula handed over a fist aid box
to an exemplary health promoting school, Guata Junior Secondary School during
the official opening of Nyalasa clinic in Qumbu on 29 October.
Guata Secondary situated in Cala Reserve is one of many health promoting
schools in the Sakhisizwe LSA. The first aid box consists of all the equipment
required for first aid treatment.
The principal of Guata Secondary, Tandeka Sibeko said it was the school's
responsibility to teach the children about health related issues and a healthy
lifestyle. Sibeko attributed the achievement to the provincial Department of
Health that supplied the school with all the health promotional material.
She said the school was in the rural community and children suffered from
different diseases such as scabies, cholera, HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis (TB),
diarrhea and undernourishment or poor nutrition.
"We teach these children on how to care for each other inside the school
premises and also when they are with their families. We noticed that if a child
suffers from one of the diseases, other children run away from that child, so
we try to build a loving and caring atmosphere amongst them," she added.
This exemplary school also has a school health clinic inside the school
premises and also a vegetable garden to provide the children with healthy
nutrition.
Eastern Cape Department of Health has employed youth to assist as community
health workers in this community. The community health workers have been
included in the school committee to access information about families that are
infected or affected by one of the diseases. They keep the database of the
needy families and supply the families with veggies planted by children to
alleviate poverty in the community.
Director of Health Promotions in the Department of Health, Nosisa Tshangane
said the role of the department was simply to strengthen partnership between
the department and the school governing body. "We strengthen the personal
skills of the teachers and supply them with the health promotional material to
keep children and the community healthy and encourage a healthy life style,"
she said.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
31 October 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
